The 22 year old is working for Sutton Coldfield-based video production company Ark Media as a junior content producer, helping to create films for the firm's clients which include University of Birmingham and Worcestershire CCC.

Nathan is already attending video shoots on location and splits his time between pre-production, camera and production work and post-production.

He is also studying with Digbeth-based training provider Creative Alliance which is providing Nathan with the knowledge and skills he needs to pass his apprenticeship.

The Ladder initiative is run by community development group The Vine Trust and training provider Performance Through People with funding from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP and Birmingham and Solihull Training Provider Network, with BirminghamLive as media partner.

Nathan studied for a business media degree but was told he did not have enough industry experience when he started applying for entry level jobs after graduating.

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Ladder for Greater Birmingham

His university and volunteering projects had not given him enough of the practical knowledge employers were seeking so he suffered a string of rejections, forcing him to take a low-paid job outside of the sector.

He said: "It was disheartening but I knew what I wanted to do and was committed to keeping trying.

"I realised I was going to have to explore other ways to get the experience employers were after which is why I started looking at apprenticeships."

Ark Media founder Phil Arkinstall said he was committed to developing local talent and has full-time staff who started with the agency as apprentices.